With an influx of a billion dollars from the federal government and a new state behavioral health administration, Colorado’s mental health advocates are looking forward to a brighter future.

Lawmakers have worked for the past two sessions to get the behavioral health administration off the ground, and as of July 1, the cabinet-member led agency, to be housed within the Department of Human Services, is official.

Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, was among the advocates who look forward to a better mental health system in the state.

In a statement Friday, Atchity said they are hopeful that the new administration “will begin to alleviate the distress of many people across the state who are struggling to access quality, affordable mental health and substance use care.” But he’s also aware of the realities of the system: Not enough mental health beds; more youth in crisis, some due to the pandemic, and the potential raised by those in the harm reduction community that the refelonization of fentanyl will create more problems than it solves. 

“The reality…is that the mental health crisis in this state continues to worsen, intensified by the pandemic, increasing gun violence, economic hardship, our state legislature’s revitalization of the debunked War on Drugs, not to mention the recent Supreme Court decisions that erode environmental protections and that roll back women’s rights in more than half the states,” Atchity said. “More people than ever need help right now, and that number is more likely to go up than down in coming months. We’re issuing an urgent call to action to all Coloradans—including, but not only, our first responders, care providers, and educators—to remember that every encounter has the potential to be life-changing and life-saving. In this time of crisis, when access to quality professional care is so limited, everyone must bear some greater responsibility for compassionate care and service in support of one another.”

Dr. Morgan Medlock, the BHA commissioner, said the new agency “is not just about us building a system that is meaningful, accessible, and trusted. It is about building a system that we would want our own family members to be a part of,” Medlock said.

“We stand on the shoulders of amazing leaders who pushed the needle forward inch by inch, and now we finally have the platform to make historic change. With Colorado’s support and trust, we will bring to life the needed solutions that have been in the works for decades,” she added.

According to Medlock, more than 1 million people in Colorado need behavioral health services. That will require a more robust system, to include implementation of provider performance dashboards for patients to review prior to service, universal contract provisions for all behavioral health providers to ensure accountability and consistency of practices, and an equitable system ensuring all people in Colorado have access to quality services, regardless of ability to pay, according to a statement from the BHA Friday.

Under House Bill 22-1278, the BHA will create a “coordinated, cohesive, and effective behavioral health system,” which is focused both on mental health and substance abuse. The BHA will handle most of the behavioral health programs that were previously handled by the office of behavioral health in DHS.